London Diaries Journey into Adventure
by Lord Archive
Summary: Dreams of adventure become reality as seven children from London find themselves in the Digital World to fight a threat beyond their worst nightmares.
1. The Gathering

London Diaries - Journey into Adventure  
  
Entry 1 - The Gathering  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The concept of Digimon is copy write of Toei Animation Inc. The characters in this story, however, are the property of Lord Archive.  
  
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Banners of 'Happy Christmas' were held aloft over the stores that ran along Main Street in a sleepy suburb of London. There were also posters proudly announcing the approach of a new millenium. The sounds of joy filled the air as Christmas day was only two days away. Though there were also the sounds of less than happy shoppers trying to get everything they needed done before the big day.  
  
However, those sounds were soon broken by the alarm of a police siren. The cop car sped down the slushy, snow-covered streets. They were responding to the seventh call that morning of a missing child. Every one had been tucked into bed, but their parents only found empty beds come morning.  
  
Normally, the police would wait longer before responding. However, seven children disappearing in the same night was too much of a coincidence. Especially since one of the missing was the son of a police officer.  
  
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A ten-year-old girl with short golden locks of hair yawned tiredly as she woke up. She blinked in confusion as she noticed she wasn't in her home, but outside somewhere. It couldn't be London, since the air was so warm and there was no snow. Last she remembered, she went to bed in her pajamas. Now she was in fancy pink and white dress, not unlike the ones she would wear to family gatherings. However, she thought it was odd that the dress didn't use a zipper, but thick strings tied together to hold it up.  
  
"Where am I?" She looked from a cliff across a strange landscape of fields, mountains, forest, and lakes.  
  
"I'd say Butt-Fucking Egypt," replied a boy her age, his blond hair slicked down. He was strangely dressed in black wool shirt and pants, with black leather boots. Where there would be buttons or a belt, the outfit used tied cords. In short, the boy looked like a medieval thief dress in his best outfit.  
  
The girl's eyes widened in shock upon seeing him. "You kidnapped me, didn't you?! I demand you take me to my mother and father immediately, or you shall be in serious trouble!"  
  
"And who crowned you princess of England?" replied the boy.  
  
"My parents did," replied the girl. "I'm Princess Susan, 127th in line to the throne of England."  
  
The boy laughed. "Well, then I'm Freddy, Duchess of York."  
  
Susan huffed. "That's not funny."  
  
"Yeah, it is, calling yourself a princess. 'Cause even IF you are in line for the throne, you aren't a princess," Freddy retorted.  
  
"If I'm not a princess, then why did you kidnap me?" Susan questioned seriously.  
  
"Get your head out of your ass," Freddy replied sharply. "Why would I kidnap you?"  
  
Susan huffed. "Because you want to ransom me off, of course. Pheasants always want to take the nobility's power and money."  
  
"That's 'peasants,' not 'pheasants,' you twit." Freddy shook his head. "Why am I even bothering?" He turned around and began to walk away.  
  
"Where are you going?" Susan demanded.  
  
"Away from you," Freddy replied.  
  
"Why would you kidnap me and then leave me in the middle of nowhere?!" Susan cried out.  
  
Freddy glared back at her. "You try to figure it out. Your 'noble' brain could use the workout."  
  
Susan stared in the direction he had left. She then pouted. "What nerve of him!"  
  
Suddenly the ground began to shake. Susan turned and saw a giant orange dinosaur with a brown skull-like, horned mask. He growled hungrily.  
  
"WAIT FOR ME!!!" Susan ran for her life, right after Freddy.  
  
The Greymon stared after the pair, with blood-red, primal looking eyes. He grinned evilly.  
  
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"I'm definitely dreaming," were the first words of a young boy staring up at a large blue and white dragon's head.  
  
"You okay?" the dragon questioned.  
  
"Ah... yeah," the boy replied very nervously. "Um, who are you?"  
  
"I'm V-Dramon," replied the dragon. "Who are you and how did you happen to come here?"  
  
"Um, I'm Chuck." The boy swallowed hard, looking out the corner of his eyes and finding himself in some wilderness. "I don't know how I got here."  
  
"I see." V-Dramon reared back and looked around. "So, you're lost?"  
  
"Yeah." Chuck was relieved that despite the meter long head of the V-Dramon, the dragon only stood about three and a half meters tall and had no visible wings. He also looked rather chubby.  
  
"Do you want me to help you get to where you're going?" V-Dramon questioned.  
  
Chuck got up off the ground, now completely certain this was a dream. He was clothed in more than the boxers he had worn to bed. However, he wanted to know why his dream decided to dress him as a Scotsman, complete with kilt, belt pouch, white shirt and no underwear. He also noticed that the outfit was not something store-bought, but looked like it was traditionally made by hand. This probably had something to do with his father's obsession with medieval culture, particular his family heritage. He had a feeling the kilt's partners would be accurate for his family.  
  
Chuck looked around and saw a pristine wilderness unlike anything in modern day England.  
  
"Well?" V-Dramon pressed.  
  
"I could certainly use the help, but I wasn't going anywhere. I was at home, then I was here," Chuck informed him.  
  
V-Dramon bent closer and sniffed the boy. "You aren't a digimon, are you?"  
  
Chuck blinked. "What's a digimon?"  
  
"A digimon is a digital monster. All creatures born here are digimon," V-Dramon answered. He then peered carefully at the boy. "If you're not a digimon, then what are you?"  
  
"I'm a human," Chuck answered. "You've never seen anyone who looks anything like me?"  
  
V-Dramon shook his head. "Never." He then paused. "Human.... Hmmm... Heard that before. Some ancient legend, I think." He shrugged. "Never put much stock in them."  
  
Chuck frowned. This certainly had a lot to deal with his father's obsession with medieval legends. He was probably supposed to act out one. The question was which one. He certainly hoped it wasn't to slay the dragon. The big guy was rather nice.   
  
Chuck sighed and asked, "Do you know anyone who would know the legend?"  
  
"Well, if you want the full legend you'd either need to get it from Jijimon or Lady Devimon. Jijimon is a bit of a hermit. Doesn't talk to many digimon," V-Dramon informed.  
  
"What about this Lady Devimon?" Chuck questioned apprehensively.  
  
V-Dramon let out a strange, long sigh. "She's not exactly friendly to many digimon, either. She has a deadly beauty to her, and a will stronger than any digimon I've ever known. She would crush anything that gets in her way without remorse."   
  
"Oooookay." Chuck sweat-dropped as V-Dramon stared toward the sky. "Why don't we try talking with Jijimon first?"  
  
V-Dramon pouted. "Well... sure. I'll take you to where he lives."  
  
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"None shall pass," growled Sharmamon, a brown goblin digimon, who was standing on a narrow bridge over a river.  
  
"Sounds like a challenge," grinned a boy with brown hair. He was dressed in brown woolen pants, off-white wool shirt, leather vest and leather traveling boots. "Let's see how long you last."  
  
Sharmamon let out a short laugh.  
  
The boy charged and Sharmamon promptly bashed the side of the kid's skull with his club, sending the boy flying into the river. The boy floated face down, carried by the current. If he didn't get his head out of the water soon, he would drown to death. Sharmamon merely let out a sound of annoyance.  
  
"What the?!" a feminine voice called out. It was shortly followed by the splashing of water as a girl a year younger than the boy swam out and pulled his head out of the water before dragging him back to shore. She laid him carefully along the river bank and checked his breathing. She frowned as he had stopped.  
  
"Not the way I wanted to have my first kiss," the girl muttered as she bent over him and opened his mouth wide. She kissed him soundly as she forced her breath into his lungs. After giving him a few breaths, she placed her hands on his chest and pressed down hard. It amazed her how similar it was to doing it on a practice dummy. But she didn't exactly care for this person and, from what she saw of him, he was stupid enough to be a dummy.  
  
The girl went back to giving him forced breaths. However, while she was doing that, he threw up water right into her mouth. While the boy continued to cough water out of his lungs, the girl started to retch last night's dinner.  
  
The boy looked sheepishly over at the girl, noticing that she was oddly dressed like he was. With shiny black leather boots, maroon silk pants, red sash for a belt, and a silk white shirt that strangely wasn't see-through despite being wet, the girl looked like a pirate out of some movie.   
  
"Um, thanks," he finally said.  
  
The girl glared. "You have an odd way of showing it."  
  
"Erm, sorry." The boy scratched the back of his head. "I'm Henry."  
  
"Melissa," the girl replied shortly. She then fussed over her black hair. "I'm all wet because of you."  
  
Henry laughed nervously. "If you say so. Do you know where we are?"  
  
Melissa looked at him in surprise. "I was hoping you did! Please help me find my way home!"  
  
Henry blinked as the girl went from angry to scared. "Ah, sure. We both can work together to find home. Where are you from any way?"  
  
"London," replied Melissa. "Over on Griffin street."  
  
"Griffin street?" Henry questioned. "I live a block over on Raven's street."  
  
"Oh, really?" Melissa smiled happily. "That's great. I just moved in. Daddy just lost his job as a fisherman and is now trying his hand at selling them."  
  
"That's neat." Henry forced a smile. What was with this girl? She changed emotions at the drop of a hat. "Let's get moving. We won't find home if we stay here."  
  
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Teressa, a girl with brown hair, wandered around wearing brown woolen pants, a thick white shirt, and a cross on a necklace. She had no idea how she came to be here, but she knew it wasn't a dream. You don't scrape your hands when you fall in a dream.  
  
Teressa was very scared, having never been far away from her parents or her big sister. She could only think that some perverted guy had brought her out here like those creeps on the news who attacked little girls like her. She was all alone and the guy who did this to her had to have seen her naked when he dressed her up in the medieval outfit. Now she could only walk aimlessly, hoping to find some means to go home and praying that she would avoid the guy who kidnapped her.  
  
Teressa pouted as her sore feet ached. She plopped down on the ground and massaged them. She then blinked, noticing a nearby flower unlike any she had ever seen. Mesmerized, she crawled towards it and took hold of one of the budding blooms to smell it, only to have the flower jerked away from her.  
  
"Hey!" a feminine voice barked. "Don't touch me!"  
  
Teressa stared at the speaker in shock. It was a meter tall plant with a human-like body, budding flowers for hands, and a large flower with a face on it for a head. She immediately shrieked in horror and ran out of the woods.  
  
"What a weird digimon," Floramon commented.  
  
  
Teressa hadn't gone far before she screeched to a halt in a clearing. Seven pairs of eyes looked at her as if in awe.   
  
A pink-colored ball with floppy ears bounced forward and cried out in a feminine voice, "You're here! You're finally here!"  
  
"W-what are you?" Teresa stuttered fearfully.  
  
"I'm your digimon partner, Koromon," she replied. "I'm here for you."  
  
Teressa blinked. "For me?"  
  
Koromon bounced up and Teressa reflexively caught her. Then a strange device on the girl's pants that she hadn't noticed before flared. Suddenly a pillar of light shot up into the air.  
  
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George, a very small boy, looked nervously about. His plain haircut added to his young appearance of being eight or nine when he was really eleven. He was dressed similar to a bard or court jester of medieval times, wearing bright green silk pants, red silk shirt, and red and green shoes.   
  
George saw a pillar of light reaching to the sky. He hoped that was a sign of civilization and began to move toward it. He stumbled around as he moved down a hill before tumbling down it. "Ow," he moaned. "That hurt."  
  
George struggled to his feet and pressed on. The light wasn't that far away and didn't want to risk losing his chance to find someone. He blinked as he entered a clearing which had a girl also dressed in medieval styled clothes nervously looking at him and at several strange creatures.  
  
A pink, somewhat ghost-shaped one jumped up into his arms. "I'm Motimon. I've been waiting for you!"  
  
"For me?" George questioned.  
  
"Yep. We're partners!" Motimon said gleefully.  
  
An orange bouncing ball with a horn cried out in a feminine voice, "They're coming!"  
  
A brown blob with three small horns bounced next to her and added with childish male voice, "Yes, they are!"  
  
Seconds later, a boy dress in black and a girl in a regal-looking pink and white frilly dress were tackled by the diminutive creatures.  
  
Susan immediately dropped the one that had gone to her. She stared at the talking head with a horn on top. "Ew, what is this disgusting thing?"  
  
The head looked upset. "I'm Tsunomon. Your partner... I think."  
  
The brown blob snickered before looking at the teen clad in black. "I'm Chocomon. Nice to meet you."  
  
Freddy looked around and saw two other kids also holding one of these weird creatures. "I guess you're my partner?"  
  
"Yep." Chocomon nodded vigorously.  
  
A seal-like creature began to zoom around the air as if she was flying. Then the pig looking one grinned with sharp teeth.  
  
Melissa appeared first and the seal digimon rammed right into her chest. "What's this?"  
  
"Ah, your digimon partner... I guess," Teresa replied shyly.  
  
Henry fell on his ass as he fell backwards when the pig leapt at him, smiling broadly with his canine teeth.   
  
"Hi, I'm Tokomon. I'm your new friend!" the pig told Henry.  
  
"Sure thing," Henry squeaked, looking nervously at the digimon.  
  
"I'm Pukamon," the seal digimon said to Melissa. "I'm yours."  
  
The remaining digimon looked like a yellow ball with cat ears and a tail. He whimpered as he sat in the middle of the field. He seemed to perk just before the sounds of something big was crashing toward them from the forest.  
  
Everyone backed away nervously from that direction except the cat-ball. They all shook when a blue and white dragon emerged from the trees and looked at them with a toothy smile.  
  
The cat digimon immediately jumped toward the dragon and collided with something on the big digimon's back.   
  
Chuck fell off V-Dramon with the cat digimon gleefully clutching onto him.   
  
"You're finally here!" the cat cheered. "I'm your partner, Nyaromon!"  
  
"Partner?" Chuck questioned.  
  
V-Dramon scratched the back of his head. "Wow. More humans. Wonder if any more are going to show up."  
  
"Doubt it," Freddy commented. "Unless there's more of these weird little things around here."  
  
"Who are you calling weird?" Chocomon demanded.  
  
Chuck stood up, holding Nyaromon. He looked at everyone. "This dream is getting weirder by the moment."  
  
"It's no dream, Chuck. I learn that the hard way." Henry rubbed the side of his face where Sharmamon had hit him.  
  
"Of course you can get hurt, it's my dream," Chuck retorted.  
  
"Oh, really? Then you won't feel this." Freddy had moved closer to Chuck, and then punched him in the face.  
  
"OW!" Chuck rubbed where Freddy had hit him. "Why did you do that?"  
  
"One, to prove this isn't a dream. Two, to get you back for gym last week," Freddy explained with a smirk.  
  
"Whatever." Chuck shook his head. Kicking Freddy while playing football in gym had been an accident, but he had hurt his classmate.  
  
Susan pouted. "You all seem to know each other. Care to introduce yourselves?"  
  
"And who are you?" Henry returned shortly.  
  
"She's 'princess' Susan. Heir to the throne of England, she is, if a hundred or so of her relatives drop dead," Freddy sarcastically introduced her.  
  
Susan glared as the other children began to snicker. "That's not funny!"  
  
"What's a princess?" V-Dramon questioned.  
  
The children stared at him.  
  
"Yeah! What's a princess?" chirped Chocomon.  
  
"Is being a princess a good thing or a bad thing?" Tsunomon asked.  
  
"Why don't you explain it, 'your majesty?'" Freddy mockingly bowed.  
  
"A princess is the heir to a kingdom," Susan informed the digimon.  
  
V-Dramon blinked. "What's a kingdom?"  
  
"Land ruled by a king," Susan answered.  
  
"What's a king?" V-Dramon questioned.  
  
Susan clenched her fists in frustration. "A king is a ruler over people."  
  
"What's people?" V-Dramon persisted.  
  
"You know! People like us!" Susan held her hand to her chest.  
  
V-Dramon nodded to himself. "Oh, so when this 'king' fellow deletes, you'll become king."  
  
Susan screamed, flailing her arms madly.  
  
The others couldn't help but laugh at her.  
  
Chuck bit down on his laughter to offer, "That's not quite it. It's rather complicated, V-Dramon. I'll explain it to you later."  
  
V-Dramon sagged. "I--"  
  
The dragon digimon was interrupted as Greymon burst from the forest and head-butted him through some trees on the other side of the clearing. V-Dramon stood up, only to fall flat on his face.  
  
"Eek! It's the Tyrannosaur again!" Susan called out in fear.  
  
"That's Greymon," the dinosaur growled at her. "And you all must die."  
  
"Why?" Chuck demanded.  
  
Greymon merely laughed. "Mega Flame!" he 'replied' launching a fireball at Chuck.  
  
"No! Nyaromon evolve!" Chuck's partner cried out while being held in his arms. The cat-like ball glowed and shifted in form, turning into a very light brown puppy with a golden collar. "Plotmon! Puppy Howling!"   
  
Plotmon's sonic attack did little to deflect the massive fireball, however Chuck fell backwards from the force of his digimon's attack. The ball of fire sailed over the boy, crashing into the forest and setting a couple trees on fire.  
  
"He's out to kill us!" Melissa screamed in terror.  
  
"We'll just have to kill him first!" Henry retorted.  
  
"I'm with you," Freddy replied.  
  
"Tokomon evolve!" The pig-like digimon with sharp teeth glowed and grew twice its original size. What he turned into something that looked more like a gray-furred hamster with batwings for ears. "Tsukaimon!"  
  
"Chocomon evolve!" The strange brown, horned baby digimon glowed and grew several times its size. Now humanoid in appearance and standing over a meter tall with green skin and holding a wooden club, he called out, "Goblimon!"  
  
Tsukaimon immediately took off into the air, only to come barreling down in a suicidal charge at the dinosaur. Goblimon rushed in as well with his club poised to attack. Greymon put a stop to both of their attack by batting Goblimon into Tsukaimon's attack with his tail.  
  
"Is that the best you 'warriors' can do?" Greymon mocked.  
  
Melissa shook in anger. "Don't mock me!"  
  
The seal-like digimon blinked as her partner suddenly went from being afraid to pissed off. It didn't matter at the moment. "Pukamon evolve!" The digimon glowed and became a strange green aquatic creature with blue stripes and a large orange fin. "Modoki Betamon!"  
  
Modoki Betamon cried out, "Aqua Tower!" while Greymon tried to unleashed another fireball, only to find his mouth full of water.  
  
Greymon gagged. "You'll pay for that. Mega Flame!" Any hope that the aquatic digimon's attack and snuffed out the dinosaur's flame went up in a blazing inferno as Modoki Betamon had to run for her life to dodge the incoming fireball.  
  
Teressa edged away from battle. For some reason clutching the strange device that she found on her new clothes kept her from running into the forest. She wanted to do something to help, but all she could feel was absolute fear.  
  
"We can take him," Koromon told her. "I can evolve and help them, if you just believe in me."  
  
"I want you to help, but I don't know... how...?" Teresa trailed off as the pink ball with floppy ears called out her name and glowed brightly.  
  
"Tapirmon!" called out a miniature elephant with a metallic mask and smoke for hind legs that had been Teressa's Koromon. "Nightmare Syndrome!" She sent out an angry looking cloud at Greymon, but seemed to do nothing when it hit him.  
  
"Was that supposed to do something?" Teressa questioned nervously.  
  
Tapirmon nodded in confusion. "I'm sure it was. Something's not right."  
  
Another fireball from Greymon nearly hit George, and his digimon partner shook in anger. "Motimon evolve!" The pink somewhat ghost-like digimon glowed. When the light faded away, he stood about a meter tall, looking like a strange metal beetle made out of a few house-hold appliances. "Kokuwamon!"  
  
"I need your help," Tsunomon pleaded with Susan.  
  
"What can I possible do to help?" Susan questioned in fear. "I'm not a fighter! I just want to go home!"  
  
"We all need to attack him together!" Chuck called out.   
  
Tsukaimon tried head-butting the dinosaur again, but did little against the creature's thick hide. Modoki Betamon sent another blast of water with no noticeable results. Goblimon got kicked for slamming his club into Greymon's knee. Kokuwamon tried shocking their opponent with electricity, but that did about as much damage as Plotmon's 'petit punch.' As in none.  
  
While the others were attacking, Tapirmon moved behind Greymon and into a tree. She climbed onto a branch over the dinosaur and when he moved into position, she jumped onto the back of his neck. She then pressed her stubby elephant nose tightly to the base of his skull.  
  
"What are...." Greymon trailed off as his eyes widened. "Get off! Get off me, you bitch!"  
  
Everyone backed away as Greymon crashed around the clearing, flailing blinding at Tapirmon, who held onto him for dear life. Teressa bit her knuckles watching her partner bounce like a stuffed animal on the dinosaur's back, while Greymon still howled about her letting go.  
  
Greymon's movements began to turn sluggish. He voiced slurred as he called out. "Let go of me... I don't want to be your puppet.... I won't obey you... Lady... De...vi...." The dinosaur crashed to the ground, unconscious.  
  
Tapirmon slid off the digimon and belched loudly.  
  
"How disgusting," Susan commented.  
  
"What did you do to him?" Teressa questioned.  
  
"I ate his nightmares," Tapirmon replied simply. "Some dark force was controlling him, and that's why my attack didn't work on him. He was already living a nightmare." She smiled. "He should be free now."  
  
Chuck frowned. "This may not be a dream, but it looks like we're all here for a reason." He looked sadly at Greymon and then V-Dramon. "I think we're supposed to defeat Lady Devimon."  
  
"Who?" Susan questioned.  
  
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Author's Notes:  
  
Next:   
Chapter 2 - Impossible Goal  
Can seven children newly partnered with digimon possibly defeat Lady Devimon when her plans are only hours away from being completed?  
  
This is part of the Diaries Timeline. The date is December 23rd, 1999. While nothing is going on in Odaiba at this time. Akiyama Ryo will get sucked into the Digital World in a couple days to fight Millenniumon.  
  
I decided to do some work on the London team's adventures. I expect that this first story arc will only go about twenty chapters. (Rather short compared to War Diaries 50+ chapters or Neo Digimon's 100+) I have my own reasons for making this series, and would like your input on this. This is NOT delaying Red Digivice Diaries. It is actually helping one RDD chapter to be released sooner by explaining some of the back-story. (I'd explain more of why this is the case, but I don't want to give any more away than I already have.)  
  
Tapirmon eating Greymon's 'nightmares.'  
A tapir is a creature from European mythology of a dream eater, just as baku is a dream eater in Japanese mythology. These are creatures who are literally able to eat the dreams of others, some for good, others for evil.  
  
Contest for artists:  
I want a picture of the London team during their first adventure, but I don't have much talent in drawing. So, I'm sending out this challenge. The artist of the best picture sent in can make a fan-fiction request from me, within reason of course. You can request a one-shot fan-fiction with a plot of your choice (no epic plots though), an avatar of yourself in to be in the Diaries Universe, that I work on and a few chapters of one of my series, or something else. There is no deadline currently, and I might award more than one 'first prize' depending on number and quality of the submissions. 


	2. Impossible Goal

London Diaries - Journey into Adventure  
  
Entry 2 - Impossible Goal  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The concept of Digimon is copy write of Toei Animation Inc. and Akiyoshi Hongo. The characters in this story, however, are the property of Lord Archive.  
  
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Seven children were taken from their safe beds and were transported into a whole different world known as the Digital World. There they met some strange creatures, but don't know what they should do next.  
  
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Seven children uncertainly stood in a clearing surrounded by several strange-looking creatures. The most notable of them being a blue dragon known as V-Dramon and an orange Tyrannosaurus Rex with a horned mask named Greymon.  
  
"It's introduction time!" chirped a girl with black hair and brown eyes wearing a white silk shirt, maroon silk pants, and a red silk sash. "I'm Melissa Pilot, age ten."  
  
The strange aquatic looking light green creature with blue stripes and large red fin standing next to her added, "And I'm Modoki Betamon."  
  
A blond-haired boy with gray eyes with a decently built body, dressed as a Scotsman complete with kilt, shrugged. "That's probably a good idea. I'm Chuck MacArthur, age twelve."  
  
A light brown puppy hopped into Chuck's arms. "I'm Plotmon."  
  
"How did you grow?" Chuck questioned.   
  
"I evolved because you needed me to," Plotmon replied.   
  
Chuck wasn't sure what else to ask. He looked over at the others. "Well, why don't you guys introduce yourselves too?"  
  
"You just want to know if the 'princess' is the same age as you," commented a boy with blond hair, blue eyes, and thin build who was dressed in black woolen clothes, looking a lot like a medieval thief in his best outfit. "I'm Freddy. You don't need to know more than that."  
  
The 'princess', a golden short-haired girl with sea-blue eyes, huffed and folded her arms. She was wearing an elegant pink and white frilly dress that used ties to stay in place rather than zippers or buttons. "I'm Susan Lords."  
  
"I'm Goblimon," added a green humanoid-looking creature with a club. "I'm Freddy's partner."  
  
A brown head with a horn on top pouted. "I'm Tsunomon, Susan's partner.... I think."  
  
"Why didn't you evolve?" Chuck questioned.  
  
"I need Susan's help, but I didn't get any," Tsunomon replied.  
  
"What?" Susan questioned. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do."  
  
"None of us do," a slender girl with shoulder length brown hair and gray eyes told her. She wore leather traveling boots, brown woolen pants, a thick white shirt, and a cross on a necklace. "I'm Teresa."  
  
"I'm Tapirmon," a miniature elephant with a metallic mask and smoke for hind legs said.  
  
A boy with an average build and brown hair and eyes who was wearing brown traveling boots, brown woolen pants, and a brown leather vest over an off-white wool shirt that hung loosely open in the front grinned as he announced, "Henry, the best football player at our school."   
  
"What do you mean 'our school?'" Susan questioned. "I go to an all-girl's private school."  
  
"Besides you and Melissa, we all go to Chestnut," replied Chuck.  
  
"Actually, I'll be attending school there in January," Melissa corrected. "I just moved."  
  
"I'm George," added the small boy who looked like he was the youngest, but was actually older than a couple of the others. He had raven black hair, dark brown eyes and was dressed like a bard of old, wearing bright green silk pants, red silk shirt, and red and green shoes.   
  
"Kokuwamon," added the metallic insect that seemed to be made out of a couple different appliances.  
  
"Do any of you know your way around here?" Chuck asked the digimon.  
  
They all shook their heads.  
  
"We all were placed here to wait for you," Plotmon explained.  
  
"How did you get here?" Chuck asked.  
  
"Don't know." Plotmon shrugged. "I vaguely remember being at a strange place, then I was here."  
  
"That won't help us much," Henry commented. "What should we do? Wait for one of the big guys to wake up?"  
  
"What else can we do?" Chuck returned.  
  
"How about get away from them while we can," Susan replied. "I don't want to be attacked again."  
  
"Greymon is safe now," Tapirmon told her. "I removed the nightmare that was controlling him."  
  
The orange dinosaur stirred with the mention of his name. He groggily sat up. "Where am I?" He then blinked in confusion noticing strange creatures and young digimon around him. "What's going on?"  
  
Chuck frowned. "That's what we were hoping you'd be able to tell us."  
  
Greymon scratched his chin. "Last thing I remember was Lady Devimon grabbing me."  
  
"Who is this 'Lady Devimon?'" Susan demanded.  
  
"She's a dark digimon, with fantastic powers," Greymon explained. "I don't know her beyond that save she doesn't let anything get in her way."  
  
"Do you know where she is?" Chuck questioned.  
  
"She attacked me at the Digital Stonehenge," Greymon replied. "I think it's not too far from here."  
  
"I guess that's where we have to go," Chuck commented.  
  
"Why would we go there?" Susan cried out. She waved her hand vigorously toward Greymon. "He said she was evil and powerful. We should be AVOIDING her!"  
  
A crashing in the nearby trees signaled that V-Dramon had awoken, snapping tree branches as he sat up. "Can you keep it down?"  
  
Chuck kept his attention on Susan. "We were called here for a reason. And I'll bet it's to defeat Lady Devimon."  
  
Susan stomped her feet. "This isn't 'Final Fantasy' or some other stupid role-playing game!"  
  
"Maybe not," Henry commented. "But why else do you think we were all brought here? What reason can you possible think of?"  
  
"That I'm holding her for ransom," Freddy quipped with a smirk.  
  
Susan slapped him.  
  
"If you can fight him, why can't you fight with me?" Tsunomon questioned.  
  
Susan clenched her fists. "I'm not fighting!"  
  
"Could have fooled me," retorted Freddy, massaging his cheek.  
  
Susan glared daggers.  
  
"This is all very confusing," Greymon commented.  
  
"Um, what's going on?" V-Dramon asked.  
  
"I think that's what they're trying to decide," Tapirmon replied.  
  
"We need a plan of what to do," Chuck said firmly. "We have two options. We can go find and talk to Jijimon and see if he knows anything. V-Dramon told me he's a bit of a hermit and not overly friendly. Or we can face Lady Devimon. If we were brought here to defeat her, then we'd be able to go home quicker if we go straight to her."  
  
"Who's closer?" Teressa questioned.  
  
"Jijimon's hut is about eight hours walk that way," V-Dramon pointed.  
  
"Eight hours?!" cried a few of the kids in protest.  
  
"And Digital Stonehenge?" Chuck asked.  
  
V-Dramon's claw moved a little to the left. "Four hours that way."  
  
"Isn't there something else we can do?" Susan questioned.  
  
"Know of anyone else who can help us get home?" Chuck questioned the two large lizards.  
  
V-Dramon shook his head.  
  
"You might get help from Jijimon, but I doubt you'd get any from Lady Devimon," Greymon answered. "There's also Lillymon, but she's more of a chemist. She doesn't know much about travel."  
  
"Looks like we're shafted," Freddy commented. "Might as well see the Lady first. It is along the way."  
  
Susan waved her arms frantically. "What are we going to do if she tries to kill us?"  
  
"Kill her first," Henry replied.  
  
"You can't!" protested V-Dramon.  
  
Greymon scowled. "And why not? She is evil."  
  
"That's no reason to kill her," V-Dramon fought weakly.  
  
"Are you all with me?" Chuck questioned.  
  
"No." Susan shook her head.  
  
"Me neither," V-Dramon added.  
  
"I'll take you to Lady Devimon. I wouldn't mind helping to get rid of her," Greymon voiced.  
  
The other children and digimon voiced their vote to follow Chuck.  
  
"You want to stay back with big blue?" Henry asked Susan.  
  
Susan looked at the dragon, and at the others. She swallowed nervously. "Well, there's safety in numbers."  
  
V-Dramon huffed. "I won't go."  
  
Chuck patted the dragon's claw. "Thanks for helping me before. Hope to see you again."  
  
V-Dramon merely turned around and sulked into the forest.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Melissa questioned.  
  
"I think he likes Lady Devimon," Chuck replied.  
  
Greymon made a disgruntled sound.   
  
Henry shrugged. "Well, let's get going. I want to sleep in my own bed tonight."  
  
------------------  
  
"How much longer will it be?" Susan whined, as she sat on Greymon's back with all the girls and their digimon.  
  
"We've only been walking for an hour," Greymon retorted, annoyed. "It'll be several hours at the pace you strange digimon walk."  
  
"We're not digimon," Melissa corrected hotly. "We're humans."  
  
"Whatever," Greymon replied shortly.  
  
"Lovely group we got here, Chucky," Henry commented. "We'll probably kill each other before anything else gets us."  
  
Chuck just groaned.  
  
"Shell Needle Rain!"  
  
The girls gripped Greymon tightly as the boys ran around chaotically, all praying the blades raining from the sky would miss them.  
  
A hollow chuckle echoed as a green and brown Stegosaurus approached them with metallic fins. "You won't stop Lady Devimon."  
  
"Stop her from doing what?" Susan called out.  
  
The Stegosaurus blinked and then laughed. "You don't even know. How pathetically stupid. Die! Guillotine Wheel!" He reared his body back and moved himself into a weird arc. The center row of blades launch from his back as a circular disk and were somehow instantly replaced.  
  
Greymon crashed onto his side, causing the girls to fall off, as he dodged the lethal blade.  
  
"Lady Devimon should've never invested the energy to try to control someone weak like you, Greymon," the Stegosaurus snarled.  
  
"At least I'd never willingly be her lap dog, Stegomon," Greymon growled. He moved to stand up.  
  
"Way to slow. Shell Needle Rain!" Stegomon fired all of his metallic blades at his opponents.  
  
Greymon howled in pain as a few sank into his flesh. "You'll pay for that! Mega Flame!"  
  
Stegomon whipped around and disrupted the Greymon's fireball with his tail.  
  
"We've got to help him!" Chuck called out.  
  
"How?" Melissa questioned.  
  
"Distract Stegomon," Plotmon replied, before letting out an ear-splitting screech of, "Puppy Howling!"   
  
"Nightmare Syndrome!" Tapirmon added, sending a black cloud from her nose.  
  
"Stun Shock!" Kokuwamon brought his hands together and then quickly pulled them apart in an arc that fired off a stream of electricity.  
  
Stegomon cringed at the loud noise assaulting his ears, then having a cold chill run across his spine, followed by the shock of electricity surging through him.  
  
"Mega Flame!" Greymon cried out, following their attack with his own fireball.  
  
Stegomon barreled forward, Greymon's attack catching him in the rear. He cried out in pain from his injuries as he tried to squash the children and their digimon.  
  
Susan let out a shrilled scream as she fell back when Stegomon's mouth came way too close to bite her.  
  
"Tsunomon evolve!" The brown head with a horn finally glowed, signaling evolution. Her form changed into a multi-colored purple and green single-horned lizard wearing a silver fur coat and dark blue stripes that seemed to change color as she moved. "Psychemon!"  
  
Stegomon noticed and turned to bite her.  
  
Psychemon panicked. The jaws were close enough that she could smell his horrid breath. "Gaudy Horn!" A brilliant multi-colored light flashed from her horn.  
  
Stegomon staggered back. "I'm blind!"  
  
"Wrong." Greymon kicked Stegomon in the side to get him on his side. "Mega Flame!" the orange dinosaur then called out, firing his attack at Stegomon's unprotected under-belly. "You're dead."  
  
Stegomon instantly broke apart as black particles shot into the air.  
  
"Whoa! Brutal!" Henry commented.  
  
"What happened to him?" Susan questioned, still sitting on the ground where she had fallen.  
  
"He died," Greymon replied simply.  
  
Chuck frowned. "Did you have to kill him?"  
  
"What?" Greymon questioned. "He was trying to kill us."  
  
"He's got a point," Henry voiced.  
  
"Let's not kill unless we're sure it's necessary," Freddy commented.  
  
"No arguments from me," Melissa added.  
  
"Looks like Lady Devimon thinks we're her enemy," Chuck commented.  
  
"Yes. She must fear you if she sent Stegomon to kill you," Greymon commented. "He was her best digimon."  
  
"How many others does she have working for her?" Henry questioned.  
  
"Two others that I know of, Lynxmon and Woodmon," Greymon replied.   
  
"Will we have to kill them, too?" Susan questioned.  
  
"Unless you want to be burned alive or staked, yes," Greymon retorted.  
  
"I'm here for you," Psychemon told her.  
  
Susan gave her a weak smile.  
  
------------------  
  
"How much longer?" Susan shifted uncomfortably as she walked.   
  
"We've still got a long way to go," Greymon replied as he moved with a slight limp. They weren't really moving any slower than they were before, but now the dinosaur was could only move as fast as the children could walk.  
  
Susan looked around. "Isn't there someplace we can stop at?"  
  
"Do you see a place?" Freddy shot at her. "We're in the middle of the fucking woods."  
  
"But where are we supposed to go to the bathroom?!" Susan whined, but then shut up and blushed realizing what she said.  
  
"There's plenty of natural toilets," Freddy waved towards the deeper part of the forest they were in.  
  
"Really? Where? What do they look like?" Susan questioned.  
  
Chuck sighed. "Freddy means you'll have to go behind a tree."  
  
Susan stared in disbelief. "I have to go outside?"  
  
"Do you see an 'inside' anywhere?!" Freddy yelled at her. "Of course you have to take a shit 'outside.'"  
  
Susan huffed. "You don't have to be so vulgar."  
  
Chuck massaged his forehead. "Let's take a break here and see if we can find some food."  
  
"I don't...." Susan trailed off as Freddy glared at her.  
  
"Know of anything that might be edible?" Henry asked Greymon.  
  
Greymon pointed at a nearby tree. "Those fruits should be good."  
  
"Yay! Food!" Tsukaimon took off and disappeared into the tree.  
  
"Try saving some for us!" Henry yelled at his partner.  
  
"Hurry up if you want any!" was Tsukaimon's reply.  
  
Chuck noticed Susan standing strangely. "Just go the bathroom behind a tree that way." He pointed. "Us boys will use the trees on this side."  
  
Susan glared at Freddy. "If you peek, I'll kill you slowly." She then marched off away from the group.  
  
"You already started," Freddy sniped. He then looked at Chuck. "Let's make this a quick stop. The sooner I get away from 'princess' the happier I'll be." He stomped in the exact opposite direction Susan had gone.  
  
"What's with them?" Teressa questioned.  
  
"Susan's hating being attracted to Freddy, and he simply hates her," George replied.  
  
"How do you figure that?" Melissa asked. "You're too young to think about girls."  
  
"I'm older that Henry," George replied.  
  
Melissa blinked.  
  
"He's actually older than me too," Teressa admitted. "He's just a late bloomer."  
  
"Whatever," George huffed.  
  
------------------  
  
Greymon tensed as they all exited the forest and walked onto a large field.  
  
"Something up?" Henry asked.  
  
"Digital Stonehenge is just ahead of us. If Lady Devimon is there, she'll see us coming long before we can get there," Greymon replied.  
  
Freddy shrugged. "Can't be helped."  
  
"Help?" a voice growled. "I don't think you'll be getting any of that."  
  
They all turned and saw a giant cat whose body was literally on fire.  
  
"That would be Lynxmon," Chuck ventured.  
  
"Branch Drain!" Wooden spikes shot out from a nearby tree, piercing Greymon's chest.  
  
"And that would be Woodmon," added Plotmon.  
  
"Masters of obvious here," Freddy griped. "Take him down."  
  
"With pleasure." Goblimon flashed a toothy grin as he reared back his club and smashed the wooden spikes that Woodmon was using to drain Greymon's strength.  
  
Greymon staggered back and fell on his ass. "M-Mega Flame." He fired his attack weakly.  
  
Woodmon easily dodged it. "Don't look so well. Say goodbye. Woody Smash!" The walking tree's arm extended, smashing through Greymon's chest.  
  
The children stared in horror as Greymon exploded into data.  
  
"He... He's dead," Susan said unemotionally.   
  
"Get him!" Henry pointed at Woodmon.  
  
"I don't think so." Lynxmon jumped into the fray, and batted Tsukaimon out of the sky with his claw. He smirked standing in the middle of his opponents. "So nice to be grouped around me like this. Thermal Mane!" The cat seemed to explode as the fire on his body erupted scorching everything meters around him.  
  
The children moaned in pain while their digimon tried to get up.  
  
"This was too easy," Lynxmon sneered.  
  
"I think we should play with our food, don't you?" Woodmon voiced.  
  
Modoki Betamon growled angrily. "Aqua Tower!" A blast of water erupted right in Lynxmon's face.  
  
Lynxmon's mane flared as he growled angrily.  
  
"Watch the fire," Woodmon commented, having nearly gotten burned.  
  
"Think I'll have some 'fun' with you, little girl," Lynxmon hissed, ignoring his partner.  
  
Psychemon touched the top of her horn, and Tapirmon touched her snout in response. The children and digimon noticed this and covered their faces.  
  
"Gaudy Horn!" Psychemon cried out, bathing the area in bright light.  
  
"Nightmare Syndrome! Nightmare Syndrome!" Tapirmon followed the attack quickly by instilling a little fear into their opponents.  
  
Lynxmon howled as he shook his head to regain his senses. "You'll pay for this!" His fiery mane's flames burned with even more intensely.  
  
"Now!" Henry called out, pointing at Woodmon.  
  
Goblimon and Tsukaimon immediately tackled the wooden digimon, causing him to fall on Lynxmon.  
  
"No!" was all Woodmon could cry before his body caught fire and then exploded into data.  
  
"Clever," Lynxmon growled angrily. "But you won't kill me so easily."  
  
Melissa looked up as she finished whispering into Modoki Betamon's ear and Kokuwamon. She then nodded. "Now!"  
  
"Aqua Tower!" "Stun Shock!" The two digimon fired their attacks in unison at Lynxmon's head. When the high pressure water struck electricity and flames, it exploded, blowing off Lynxmon's head before he deleted.  
  
"What the fuck was that?" Henry cursed.  
  
"Ever see what happens when a lightning bolt strikes salt water?" Melissa commented with a grin. "It doesn't conduct, it explodes. And Modoki's attack uses salt water."  
  
"That's something you won't see on science shows," Henry commented dryly.  
  
Chuck nodded to himself gravely. "We've still got Lady Devimon to deal with. Let's take care of her and hope that's how we're supposed to go home."  
  
------------------  
  
The sun was setting as the children made it to the foot of what looked like Stonehenge, but the placement of stones were off. A woman's icy voice could be heard chanting from the center of the stone circle. Black clouds formed from thin air and the sky quickly turn pitch black.  
  
"Safe bet we found Lady Devimon," Henry commented.  
  
Chuck nodded. "Get ready, guys. We'll probably have to fight her."  
  
"I doubt she'll turn good just because we ask her too," Freddy commented sarcastically.  
  
------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Coming Soon:   
Chapter 3 - Confrontation  
The children must face the reason why they are in the Digital World.  
  
Thanks to my pre-readers for going over this, particularly Jeremy Mullin and Andree Garrison.  
  
Football:  
Whenever I mention 'football' in London Dairies or with any of my stories dealing with the Odaiba group for that matter, I'm referring to a game played with a white and black ball, known to most Americans as soccer. The United States is the oddball country to call football, soccer. If I was to refer to the game Americans know as football, played with brown oval shaped ball, that's American football.  
  
Electricity and Salt Water:  
When lightning strikes at sea, the water explodes. Koushiro applied that particular tactic when he had Kabuterimon send a blast at the sea water in Tokyo bay to take out Raremon during Vamdemon's invasion. There must be a sufficient amount of electricity to cause the chemical reaction that results in salt water exploding, though. 


	3. Confrontation

London Diaries - Journey into Adventure  
  
Entry 3 - Confrontation  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The concept of Digimon is copy write of Toei Animation Inc. and Akiyoshi Hongo. The characters in this story, however, are the property of Lord Archive.  
  
------------------  
  
Seven lost children have found themselves on a path leading to what they hope is a way home. However, if they're right, they must stop Lady Devimon, a foe with powers beyond their imagination. All they have to help them are seven small and young digimon.  
  
------------------  
  
A haughty laugh echoed in the air as seven children and their digimon partners entered a ring of enormous stones. While the placement of the stones weren't the same as Earth's Stonehenge, its similarities could not be coincidence.  
  
At the center of the Digital Stonehenge was the one who was laughing. A woman standing over two meters in height with bone-white skin and was almost completely covered in black leather. Before her stood an altar that had an ancient book with the words written in human blood resting on top of it.   
  
Susan looked at the leather outfit of the evil digimon and then glanced at Freddy and asked, "Friend of yours?"  
  
Freddy tried to ignore her as now wasn't the time to exchange insults.  
  
Lady Devimon stretched out her arms. "I can't believe Jijimon sent you to stop me. You don't stand a chance. With three words, I shall achieve my goal. Clapto!"  
  
The children and digimon knew they had to stop her, but weren't sure what to do. One of them moved in a desperate attempt to interrupt the spell.  
  
Lady Devimon stretched out her arms. "Verata!"  
  
Goblimon gave a quick prayer of hope as he launched his club into the air.  
  
"Nic--" Lady Devimon was interrupted painfully by Goblimon's club striking her nose. She rubbed her injury and hissed angrily, "Dung Eating Fool! You ruined the spell!"  
  
"That's the idea!" Goblimon snapped back.  
  
The book that Lady Devimon read from began to glow, and the evil digimon smiled. "It seems you were too late. The spell to grant me power over all undead digimon is mine!"  
  
The book exploded, sending pieces of itself streaking into the air, many disappearing in the distance. One piece, however, struck Lady Devimon in the chest. She screamed in pain as the glow from the fragment engulfed her body. She curled up into a ball as her body expanded to twice her original size before the light faded.  
  
The evil digimon then stood up, flinging her now black hair behind her back and revealing very beautiful human features. She looked down at her new appearance. She now wore hunter green and royal blue robes, with a golden necklace around her neck. Once again mocking laughter filled the air as she felt the sheer power course through her body. "I evolved! Thanks for your 'interference.'" She then disappeared in a swirl of smoke.  
  
Freddy sagged, believing they had missed their chance to go home. "Sure she's not related to you?" he questioned Susan.  
  
"My family doesn't allow anyone evil to be part of it," Susan huffed.  
  
"That was anti-climatic," George commented.   
  
"I think we should count ourselves lucky we didn't have to fight her," Tapirmon replied.  
  
"Guess we don't go home yet," Henry commented bitterly.  
  
"Looks like it," Chuck replied. "We'll have to go see Jijimon now."  
  
Teressa plopped on the ground. "Why should we? I've had enough walking."  
  
Susan nodded. "That's what I've been saying all along. Why should we try to find these digimon? What if this Jijimon wants to kill us too?"  
  
"Unless your 'majesty' has some special way of finding a way home, these flimsy leads are all we have," Freddy shot back. "If we just sit around, we'll never get home."  
  
Melissa massaged her forehead. "Why don't we just camp here for the night? It is getting late after all. We'll decide what to do in the morning."  
  
Chuck nodded. "That would be a good idea. We should also take turns keeping watch."  
  
------------------  
  
Melissa sighed as she kept watch on the boring field that stretched out before her. She had been one of the unlucky ones to draw a watch tonight. At least she should get a full nights rest tomorrow, even if they don't find a way home.  
  
The monotony got to Melissa only after a couple minutes. She stood up.  
  
"Melissa?" Modoki Betamon questioned.  
  
"Just going to walk around for a bit," Melissa informed her partner. "I just can't stand doing nothing."  
  
Modoki Betamon shrugged and followed Melissa.  
  
The pair looked over where everyone had taken to sleeping. Susan and Freddy were on opposite sides of the Stonehenge. Teressa had taken to sleeping near Susan, while Henry and George were near Freddy.  
  
Melissa looked around for Chuck, but could not find him inside the giant stone circle. She hadn't noticed where he had gone to sleep as he had first watch, while she had the third. She left the Stonehenge and walked around the outer circle. She found him sleeping a few meters away from what looked to be the main entrance of the circle.  
  
Modoki Betamon cautiously followed and looked around, taking her job of being on watch a little too seriously.  
  
Melissa glanced down at the Scotsman. There was something she always wanted to know.  
  
"Melissa?" Modoki Betamon squawked as her partner lifted Chuck's kilt.  
  
"They really don't wear any underpants," Melissa said in amazement. She then pouted. "If only I had a blue ribbon."  
  
Modoki Betamon stared in confusion. "Is that what, um, boys look like?"  
  
"At least human boys." Melissa dropped the kilt. "Let's go before he wakes up."  
  
Modoki Betamon paused a minute before following after her partner.  
  
------------------  
  
"Excuse me!" Chuck called out.  
  
Brachiomon, a large orange brachiosaur digimon with blue stripes, looked down at the small human.   
  
"What a strange looking digimon," commented the gigantic, long-neck dinosaur.  
  
"We're not digimon!" Susan retorted.  
  
Brachiomon blinked as he saw more of the strange creatures with several young digimon.  
  
"Excuse me, but can you tell us where we can find Jijimon?" Chuck questioned.  
  
"That old coot? He lives over that way, on top of a hill in the middle of that forest," Brachiomon replied, pointing out the direction with his head. "Why do you want to find him?"  
  
"We think he might be able to help us get home," Chuck answered.  
  
"Well, he'll probably talk to you since you've got girls with you, but I'd avoid him. He's a dirty old digimon who doesn't take kindly to others," Brachiomon warned them.  
  
"I don't like the sounds of that." Teressa pouted.  
  
------------------  
  
Psychemon's horn glowed brightly leading the way while the stars shined over head as the seven children arrived at their destination. Having been told they were close to Jijimon's hut, they had opted not to stop for the night.   
  
"This is too easy," Freddy commented, eyeing the wooden hut with a grass roof warily.  
  
"Probably should keep on our guard," Goblimon added.  
  
"After all that fighting yesterday, it does seem odd we met no resistance today," Chuck said.  
  
"I, for one, am glad that we didn't do any fighting. Maybe we can finally go home," Susan retorted.  
  
The door to the hut creaked open.  
  
"I don't like the feeling of this," Plotmon chirped.  
  
"Can we just come back later?" Susan questioned.  
  
Freddy scowled and advanced into the hut with Goblimon. Slowly the rest of the group followed him in.  
  
The inside of the hut looked nothing like the outside of it. The walls looked like giant circuit boards. The floor and ceiling were solid metal. The only item in the room was a large screen television.  
  
"Looks like he's not home," Freddy commented.  
  
"What are we supposed to do now?" Susan questioned.  
  
The floor opened up under the feet.  
  
"I'd guess you'll all fall," Tsukaimon commented as the others began to scream. He flew down the hole after them.  
  
Their screams stopped as their fall came to a screeching halt, a full meter above the ground. Then they were slowly lowered to the ground.  
  
"Whoa, 'Hare Brakes,'" Henry joked.  
  
George blinked. "Don't you mean 'air brakes?'"  
  
Henry looked at George as if he came from another planet. "Haven't you even watched 'Looney Tunes?'"  
  
George shook his head. "No."  
  
They all found themselves in an enormous room. Above them was a sign reading, 'London.' There were other signs in the room, with names of various cities in Europe and America written on them.  
  
"Greetings, children. I've been expecting you," said a figure that was a little shorter than most of them were, his white hair and beard covering most of his body.  
  
"You're older than Grandpa!" Susan chirped, pointing at him.  
  
"It's not polite to point," Freddy shot at her.  
  
The old digimon laughed. "I'm Jijimon."  
  
"Do you know how we came to be here?" Chuck questioned.  
  
"That is an easy yet difficult question to answer," replied Jijimon. "You seven were summoned here for a purpose, to accomplish something only you seven are capable of. Defeat Lady Devimon."  
  
"We already met her and stopped her from casting some weird spell," Freddy commented.  
  
Jijimon nodded. "True, you stopped her, but you did not defeat her. Evolved into her new form, she is vastly more powerful than before. She will seek to reclaim all the spell fragments from the destroyed Necronomicmon and try to use the power they contain. Hopefully she'll keep to her goal of trying to become 'Queen of the Dead.' Then even if she's able to collect all the pieces, she'll still have to wait until the next Winter Solstice to gain the power over all undead digimon."  
  
"And if her goal changes?" Plotmon questioned.  
  
"The full power of the Necronomicmon is unknown to me. There may be other things she can do with it. Possibly evolve herself to an even more powerful state," Jijimon explained.  
  
"What's the big deal about evolution?" Henry asked.  
  
Jijimon looked at him like he had said something extremely stupid. "Each time a digimon evolves, their power increases. When you first found your digimon, they were baby digimon with little in the way of being able to protect themselves. Then they evolved into child digimon, who can fight back. Then there are the digimon you fought, who are adults. It took a combined effort of your digimon to defeat one adult digimon, did it not?"   
  
"You've been spying on us," Freddy observed.  
  
Jijimon ignored him. "But now Lady Devimon was a Perfection digimon. Her power exceeded an adult's, as the adult surpasses a child's. But now that she is an Ultimate, yet another level above that, there is no way you children could hope to defeat her the way you are now."  
  
"So we should all just up and quit?" Freddy commented.  
  
"Just because you can't stop her now doesn't mean you won't be able to defeat her in the future," Jijimon corrected. "There are seven swords scattered throughout this region that can help you achieve the power you need. While Lady Devimon is focused on getting the spell fragments, you'll go after those swords."  
  
"Why do we have to be the ones to do this?" Susan demanded. "Why can't it be someone else who actually knows how to fight!"  
  
"You seven weren't picked from some hat. You were selected because of who you are. Each of you has a special something that will serve you. Something that very few kids have," Jijimon told her.  
  
"Shouldn't we get a choice whether to help or not?" Melissa questioned. "Why should we care about this world?"  
  
Jijimon frowned. "You're right. You should have a choice in this matter. However, you would not only be protecting this world against Lady Devimon, but your own world as well. The Digital World and Earth are interconnected. If a village here is blown off the map by an evil digimon, an equivalent disaster would occur on Earth. An accidental gas main explosion, perhaps."  
  
"What about a massive multi-car accident that killed dozens?" Teressa questioned.  
  
"That is possible shadow effect as well," Jijimon replied.  
  
The children stared as Teressa had referenced an accident that had occurred only a few days ago.  
  
"If Lady Devimon's power goes unchecked, she will cause untold hardship in the Digital World, and that will reflect onto England."  
  
"But you're asking us to kill Lady Devimon, aren't you?" Chuck questioned.  
  
Jijimon nodded. "Yes, I am. That may be the only way to stop her."  
  
Susan folded her arms and huffed. "I don't care. I want to go home. Tomorrow is Christmas. It's supposed to be spent with our families. Not going off to kill someone!"  
  
Jijimon let out a long sigh. "I guess sending you home for one day would not hurt anything."  
  
The children stared at him in surprise.  
  
"You're sending us home?" Melissa chirped happily.  
  
"Yes." Jijimon looked down. "And you'll have a choice to return or not. Go to the front of Chestnut school by midnight tomorrow. I'll open up a portal that'll take you straight to the first sword. Where your digimon will be waiting for you."  
  
"We don't get to go with them?" Plotmon asked.  
  
"No. It would not be wise to send you to Earth," Jijimon replied.  
  
"So, send us home already!" Henry called out.  
  
Jijimon gave a short, hollow laugh. "The means home is over this way, but you'll have to fall asleep first."  
  
Part of the wall opened up and they all followed Jijimon through it. In the room was what looked like a giant bed.  
  
"Just climb onto the bed and dream of home, and that's where you'll be when you wake up," Jijimon informed them.  
  
"Should we even trust him?" Susan asked.  
  
"I'm not going to miss a chance to go home!" George jumped on top of the bed, and tried to get comfortable.  
  
"I don't see any harm in trying to sleep," Teressa mentioned. "If something goes wrong, our digimon should wake us."  
  
The remaining children climbed onto the bed. Sleep came easily to the tired children. And soon, one by one, the children disappeared.  
  
------------------  
  
In the early morning hours, Chuck woke up to the sounds of barking and scratching on his door. He tiredly got out of bed and opened the door, only to be assaulted by the loving affections of his dog.  
  
Chuck laughed as his dog licked his face. "I'm glad to see you too."  
  
"Chuck?" Mrs. MacArthur pushed aside the dog only wet her son's face with her own kisses.  
  
------------------  
  
Mrs. Marshall sighed as wished her youngest daughter was home. She looked inside Teressa's bedroom, and did a double take. "Teressa?!" she called out in surprise.  
  
Teressa groggily opened her eyes. "Mom?" She blinked her eyes clear and then shot out of bed grabbing her mother in a fierce hug. "Mommy!"  
  
Mrs. Marshall hugged Teressa and began to cry, giving thanks to God for bringing back her daughter.  
  
Teressa found herself ripped out of her mother's hug, only to be crushed in her father's arms.  
  
------------------  
  
Mr. Mason sat next to an overly decorated Christmas tree as he riffled through police reports gathered concerning the missing children.  
  
"Yo," Freddy greeted as he plopped down on the couch.  
  
"Morning," Mr. Mason returned.  
  
A full minute had passed and neither of them said a word. Then the police reports fell out of Mr. Mason's hands like a waterfall.  
  
"Freddy?!" Mr. Mason called out in surprise.  
  
"I'm back." Freddy reached down and picked up one of the police reports. "You'll find all seven of us are back for today."  
  
"What happened to you?" Mr. Mason questioned.  
  
"That's a long story," Freddy replied.  
  
------------------  
  
Mr. Pilot found himself glomped by someone less than half his size and heard cry of, "Guess who?!"   
  
"Melissa?!" The large man reached behind himself and pulled the young girl off him with one arm.  
  
"Happy Christmas, Daddy! I'm home!" Melissa chirped.  
  
"My little squid!" Mr. Pilot exclaimed tossing his daughter into the air, only to catch her again.  
  
------------------  
  
"Where were you? Are you all right? Did anything bad happen to you?!" Mrs. Lords questioned as she preened her daughter's appearance.  
  
Susan sighed. "I'm fine, mother."  
  
"You had us all worried," Mr. Lords said calmly.  
  
"Sis?!" William cried out and tackled his sister.  
  
Mrs. Lords frowned.  
  
Susan giggled a little. At least someone was here to hug her after what she had been through.  
  
------------------  
  
Mrs. Smith cried as she sat in her large and lonely house. All she had in the world was her son, and now she didn't even have him.  
  
"Mom, are you crying?"  
  
"Henry?!" Mrs. Smith questioned. She shakily got to her feet and shambled over to her son, touching his face to be sure he was there. "Oh, thank God, you're home!"  
  
Henry closed his eyes as he hugged his mother. "Yep. I'm home."  
  
------------------  
  
Music from a grand piano wafted through one of the smaller homes of a sleepy suburb of London, only to turn to shouts of joy when the family learned that the eldest son had returned.  
  
George did not mind that his little sisters and brother had interrupted his song as he soon found himself in the middle of one great big hug.  
  
------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Coming Soon: Chapter 4 - The Christmas Decision.  
The seven children have a choice: To stay safe at home or return to the Digital World? Will they all return? And for those that do go back, why do they?  
  
Thanks to Jeremy Mullin for the grammar check.  
  
Shaun's been a bad influence on me. If you've seen 'Army of Darkness,' then you've probably caught the references to that movie. The spell fragment idea came from 'Those Who Hunt Elves.' Also Melissa's 'blue ribbon' comment comes from a song on the 'Best of Dr. Demento' collection and 'Hare Brakes' is one of Bugs Bunny's jokes. 


	4. The Christmas Decision

London Diaries - Journey into Adventure  
  
Entry 4 - The Christmas Decision  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The concept of Digimon is copy write of Toei Animation Inc. and Akiyoshi Hongo. The characters in this story, however, are the property of Lord Archive.  
  
---------------------  
  
After spending a few days in the Digital World, seven children from a sleepy suburb of London have returned home. However, they are each faced with a decision of whether to stay safe at home or go to the Digital World and fight against Lady Devimon's evolved form.  
  
---------------------  
  
To seven families, Christmas morning was something truly special. After losing their sons and daughters for a few days only to find them as if they had never left was an answer to all their prayers. It was a truly joyous celebration for all of them.  
  
---------------------  
  
"It was really neat how Modoki Betamon and Kokuwamon combined their salt water and electricity attacks into an explosive blast that blew off Lynxmon's head!" Melissa elated, but then frowned. "Though I wish I didn't have to kill him. But he was a bad digimon that wanted to hurt me." She smiled again. "My plan was neat!"  
  
Mr. Pilot frowned at his daughter. He wondered if he had been right to take her off her medication for her mood disorder. The drugs the doctors had given his lively daughter had left her a zombie incapable of experiencing emotions, which, in his opinion, had been worst than the 'disease.' Now he wondered if his beloved daughter's already fragile mind had gone insane at what she had gone through and created this fantasy to cover up her trauma.   
  
---------------------  
  
"You're all going back tonight?" Officer Mason questioned.  
  
"Most of us, at least." Freddy shrugged. "I doubt that royal twit, Susan, will come back. It'd mess up her dress," he said the last part in a mocking, girlish tone.  
  
Officer Mason appraised his son. While the boy preferred to dress like a punk, as he was currently wearing his favorite outfit of torn jeans and T-shirt, Freddy was not one to lie or cause trouble. He also displayed a lot of knowledge on Susan and Melissa, who he should not know. They could've been held together somewhere, but that didn't answer how all the kids returned home and why there were no real injuries or trauma on the children that had been checked. There was only one likely conclusion the officer could figure out, that his son was telling the truth even though it seemed unbelievable.  
  
Officer Mason sighed. "I'm going to have a lot of trouble tomorrow dealing with the other parents when their kids disappear again."  
  
"Can't be helped," Freddy replied.  
  
"I will be going with you to see that portal," Officer Mason said firmly.  
  
Freddy shrugged. "Figured you would."  
  
---------------------  
  
Teressa was surprised to see all of the children that went to the Digital World at Christmas mass. The only one she remembered seeing at Church regularly was Freddy. Though, she hadn't exactly looked for them here before, either.  
  
Teressa guessed the lax Protestants came to mass because it was Christmas and their prayers had been answered with the return of their children. She expected that they would be returning to Church more often after their kids left again.  
  
But did she want to leave? Jijimon asked her and the others to commit murder, to kill Lady Devimon. Could she possibly do that? While many of God's rules changed over the course of the past couple thousand years, killing someone had always been one of the greatest of sins.   
  
When mass concluded, Teressa turned toward her mother. "Can I talk to Father Bass alone?"  
  
"He might not be able to, Dear, but you can if he has the time," Mrs. Marshall replied.  
  
Teressa nodded. "I'll walk home after I'm done talking to him."  
  
Mrs. Marshall frowned. "No. We'll wait for you here."  
  
"If you say so." Teressa sighed and went to where the pastor of the Church was thanking people for coming to mass today. She waited for a while until most of the people had left before approaching him.  
  
"Ah, Teressa. It's so good to see you again," Father Bass greeted with a warm smile. "You gave us such a scare when you disappeared."  
  
Teressa nodded shyly. "Father, can I talk to you in private?"  
  
Father Bass frowned slightly. "Of course, Dear."  
  
Teressa let herself be guided into the Church's antechamber where the priest would change prior to mass.  
  
"What is it that you wish to talk about?" Father Bass prompted.  
  
"Father... I don't know how to say this." Teressa sighed. "I'm faced with a question I don't know how to answer."  
  
"What is the question?" Father Bass asked.  
  
"While I... was gone, I was asked to do something. I can choose to stay home, but if I don't go back... terrible things could happen to innocents," Teressa replied.  
  
Father Bass's eyes widened. "You're being threatened?!"  
  
Teressa shook her head fiercely. "No! Nothing like that! It's just there's this really bad devil out there who will hurt others to get what she wants. I was called to help stop her, but I failed. I'll have to go back and face her again, but..."  
  
"You were called to fight a devil?" Father Bass asked skeptically.  
  
Teressa nodded. "All the kids that went missing were pulled into another dimension to fight this devil. We were told only we could stop her. We'll have to go back and face her... to kill her."  
  
Father Bass was well aware of Biblical stories dealing with people being chosen to confront the forces of darkness. But to have little Teressa say she was one of them?! He didn't know if he should believe her, but this girl had an unusual amount of faith in the Church for one so young. He had never heard a lie pass this girl's lips and her words held the conviction of truth. If anyone would be called to such a destiny, it would be her.  
  
Of the other children that had gone missing, he only really knew Freddy. Despite the boy's appearance, Father Bass knew the boy to have a good heart. That he would be asked to slay a devil actually wasn't hard for the priest to imagine.  
  
Father Bass held her hands in his own. "If God has chosen you for this task, I'm afraid you must accept it."  
  
"But isn't it wrong to kill?" Teressa questioned.  
  
"There are times where killing someone is the right thing to do," Father Bass told her sadly. "Sometimes in order to save lives you have to take a life. God will forgive you as long as you believe in Him and do what you feel is right."  
  
"Thank you, Father." Teressa hugged the priest tightly, her mind awhirl with his words.  
  
Father Bass smiled gently at the girl as he wrapped his arms around her in a light, comforting embrace.  
  
---------------------  
  
"Hey, Henry!" called out a middle-aged man as he entered the Smiths' home. "You're really home!"  
  
"Sure am, Mr. Miller," Henry replied.  
  
"What happened to you?" Mr. Miller questioned. "Why did you leave?"  
  
Henry frowned. "It wasn't my choice to leave. I can't really explain what happened. Just I ended up somewhere else and it took me a few days to find my way home."  
  
"Were you with the other missing children?" Mr. Miller asked. "Do you know if they made it home too?"  
  
"Yeah. I was with them and they should be home," Henry answered.  
  
"That's enough talk about that," Mrs. Smith admonished when she entered the room from the kitchen. "Henry is home and that's all that matters. I'll have Christmas brunch ready in a moment." She then returned to her cooking.  
  
"If you say so, Beth," Mr. Miller replied.  
  
"Mr. Miller," Henry whispered. "Mom's going to need you for the next few weeks."  
  
Mr. Miller blinked. "Why do you say that?"  
  
"I have to leave again, but I will be back." Henry sighed. "And you know how lonely Mom has been since my Dad died."  
  
"Why do you have to leave?" Mr. Miller asked in a harsh whisper. "Do you know how badly your mother freaked when you disappeared?"  
  
Henry frowned. "I'm sorry, but I have a responsibility. I can't explain it as you wouldn't believe it."  
  
"Are the ones who kidnapped you threatening you?" Mr. Miller demanded.  
  
"I wasn't exactly kidnapped and no one is threatening me or anyone else. I'm needed to do something only I can do. I can't turn my back on it. Not after the way Dad...." Henry trailed off.  
  
Mr. Miller didn't know what to say of the request. "Don't be away too long."  
  
"I will," Henry replied with a ghost of a smile.  
  
---------------------  
  
Susan looked over the DVD she had received for Christmas and had just watched with her parents. It was a Cinderella-type story called 'Ever After,' but it was a bit different than the other Cinderella stories she had seen or read.  
  
Susan went into her room and pulled out a VHS tape of Disney's 'Cinderella' from her closet. She plopped on her bed looking at both movies.  
  
Cinderella was a beautiful woman, who could sing. She was a true princess and everyone loved her. Anything she needed was done for her by her loyal friends, the mice.   
  
Danielle was the 'Cinderella' in Ever After. She was certainly attractive, but not in a super-model way. Part of her beauty had come from her spirit. Danielle stood up for herself and gave one of her step-sisters a black eye. She even saved the prince's life from gypsies!   
  
Susan pouted at the two movies. Did she want to be Cinderella and live an easy life or be Danielle who fought to get what she wanted? Should she stay home and be the princess her parents wanted her to be or return to the Digital World and fight to protect others?  
  
---------------------  
  
George sighed as he placed a letter on the dining room table. "Goodbye," he whispered before leaving the house. He didn't want to leave his family, but he couldn't stay.  
  
This was an adventure that was waiting for him. Something he had longed for. Though he wasn't sure he should be thankful that his wish had been granted. Sure, this would help him experience life, but what would be the cost of this?  
  
Staying home was out of the question. Guilt would plague him. Every time he'd look in a paper seeing some tragedy listed there, he'd wonder if Lady Devimon had done something evil to cause it to occur. And if the others left and never returned home, he doubted he could live with himself.  
  
On the way to the school, Chuck ran up to meet him. "You decided to come too?"  
  
George nodded. "Wasn't going to pass up an adventure. Why are you going back?"  
  
Chuck shrugged. "I just feel I have to. I can't explain it."  
  
"What did you say to your parents?" George asked. "I left a note for my family telling them I'm gone, but didn't really explain where or why."  
  
Chuck smirked. "So did I."  
  
Both boys suddenly stopped seeing a police officer standing in front of the Chestnut Elementary. It took them a moment to notice Freddy waving at them as he was dressed in black. They nervously approached them.  
  
"Don't mind him. He's just my Dad," Freddy pointed at the officer. "I told him everything. He's not here to stop us."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Chuck greeted.  
  
"No one else here yet?" George questioned.  
  
"Nope," Freddy replied. "Henry and Teressa should be here soon. Don't know about Melissa."  
  
"What about Susan?" Chuck asked.  
  
"The prissy princess would never go back," Freddy mocked.  
  
"I wouldn't?"   
  
They turned to see Susan standing behind Freddy holding a decorative backpack and wearing a plain blue silken dress. She appraised them as they stared at her.   
  
"Aren't you guys bringing any supplies with you?" Susan questioned.   
  
Chuck and George looked at each other stupidly, not thinking of bringing anything with them.  
  
Freddy kicked a black duffel bag sitting next to his feet. "First aid kit, fire starting kit, toilet paper and some snack bars."  
  
Susan nodded with a frown. Why did he have to be the one to think things through as well?  
  
"We're here!" Melissa chirped with Henry and Teressa following behind her.  
  
"Not a moment too soon," Freddy commented. "It's almost midnight."  
  
The school's digital clock clicked over to the midnight hour. Suddenly electricity arced over it before it exploded into a brilliant light.  
  
Officer Mason blinked his eyes repeatedly to clear his vision, but once he did the first thing he noticed was that the children were gone.  
  
---------------------  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Damn, it's been a long time since the last chapter of this. You have NO idea how busy I've been.   
  
Coming soon, I hope:   
  
Entry 5 - Compassion  
  
The first sword is held in a graveyard where the kids will not find compassion for those that guard it. 


	5. Compassion

London Diaries - Journey into Adventure 

Entry 5 - Compassion

By: Lord Archive

The concept of Digimon is copy write of Toei Animation Inc. and Akiyoshi Hongo. The characters in this story, however, are the property of Lord Archive.

* * *

After finding themselves in a strange and hostile world, seven children arrived safely at home on Christmas day. Each faced the question of whether to remain home or return to the Digital World to protect it and the world they were from. Though their reasons were different, their answers were the same.

* * *

Seven children had stood in front of a school. Then light flooded their view and they suddenly found themselves falling sideways, not down. They fell through a rainbow of colors before they crash-landed in a heap at a place that held no color.

"Whose hand is on my bottoms!" Susan cried out indignantly, and the hand was instantly gone.

"Ew! I'm going to have to cut it off," Freddy growled out, looking at his hand as if it was infected with gangrene.

"I'll do it for you," Susan hissed.

"Now if only she can fight the enemy with that intensity," Psychemon quipped.

"Doubt they'll ever change," Goblimon added.

Melissa pried herself free of the pile, unmindful that her head had landed on the inside of Chuck's kilt. She then immediately tackled Modoki Betamon. "I missed you!"

The aquatic digimon wiggled nervously in the arms of her partner.

"Damn... Wish we'd kept the clothes we had on before we left this time." Chuck blushed fiercely, his hands holding his kilt down to the ground.

He wasn't the only one blushing, as Melissa had caused the boy to flash the others. Susan and Freddy, however, were too busy yelling at each other to notice. Teresa began reciting the 'Our Father' repeatedly, while steadfastly looking away from the boy.

George glanced around. "Are we in the Digital World?"

"Of course we are," Kokuwamon replied.

"Well, if a digimon doesn't have a body after they die, how come there's a cemetery here?" George observed.

At the boy's comments, the others looked over and saw that only a short distance away, just beyond a rusted and mangled black iron-bar fence, were rows of funeral plots, complete with headstones. To the children, it reminded them of scenes from horror movies they would watch around Halloween.

The digimon looked at each other in confusion from George's comment.

"What does a cemetery have to do with the dead?" Plotmon questioned.

"In our world, humans don't disappear when they die so we bury the dead in cemeteries," Chuck explained.

"Oh, sweet Mary, Mother of God, preserve us," Teresa chanted as terror gripped her at the sight of movement from the graveyard. A tiny skeleton shambled past the main crypt and a ghost floated around aimlessly.

Henry frowned at the sight of more undead creatures milling about. "Let me guess... the sword we're after is in the main crypt, isn't it?"

Tsukaimon nodded slowly. "That's what Jijimon told us. That's a lot of adult and child digimon to deal with."

"What's the plan?" Kokuwamon questioned.

"I don't want to be stuck here for the next year. I say we go and get the sword now," Henry replied.

"The sooner we get the swords, the sooner we'll be able to face Lady Devimon's evolved form," Plotmon added.

Susan had overheard as she was now 'not talking' to Freddy. "Can't we wait until morning?"

"I don't want to wait. You look good enough to eat now," a voice moaned out.

Susan slowly turned around, her hair standing on end as she looked straight down into the toothy mouth of a ghost digimon. She promptly shrieked at the top of her lungs and ran off into the nearby forest filled with dead trees.

"That twit," Freddy growled, immediately chasing after the frightened girl.

"Laters," Henry called out, as he and everyone else followed Susan and Freddy into the woods.

* * *

"Well, that was a spectacular failure," Freddy groused.

"He was going to EAT ME!" Susan shot back.

"Once he tasted you, he would've spit ya back out," Freddy returned.

"I didn't exactly fancy facing all those digimon at once," Psychemon added.

Melissa looked disgusted. "Especially ones so icky."

Chuck reluctantly nodded. "A frontal attack wouldn't have exactly been wise."

"Any brilliant plans?" Henry groused.

"Why don't we find a place to camp and think things out in the morning?" Teresa suggested.

"This is our SECOND night in this world. I do NOT have a watch," Melissa stated loudly.

"How about we stay at that inn?" Tsukaimon pointed out.

"Perfect! I won't have to sleep outside!" Susan cheered.

"Of course her 'majesty' would spontaneously combust if she were to get a speck of dirt on her, she would," Freddy mocked.

Susan growled angrily at the boy, while the others shook their heads at the pair's antics.

As the team approached the inn, they found that it was a lot larger than they originally thought, with the main entrance of the building being over five meters tall. There was a secondary, and smaller, door nearby which the group opted to use. Once inside, they marveled at the rustic appearance of the bar and restaurant before them. They were even more amazed at the barkeep who was a winged, giant humanoid dragon with a mark upon his chest that looked either like an X or stylized V.

"Haven't seen you folks before. Tell ol' XV-mon your poison and I'll serve you right up," the draconian informed them.

"We want rooms for the night!" Susan announced.

"You know, I think her 'majesty' has forgotten something. What kind of money do you accept here?" Freddy questioned.

XV-mon grinned. "Bits, bans, dollars, pounds, whatever. If it's a currency, I'll find some means to convert it."

"And how much for two rooms... with breakfast in the morning using pounds?" Chuck questioned.

XV-mon paused to consider it. "Fifty pounds for each room. Food depends on how much you order, but roughly five pounds each."

Chuck and the others sweatdropped. That was a LOT of money for them. Though they had to admit, it didn't sound that expensive. However, most of them doubted that they each had more than five pounds.

"Eighty, ninety, a hundred...," Susan muttered to herself as she counted from the wad of cash in her hand. "Would've preferred my own room, but don't want to spend too much too soon. We'll take the two rooms, please." She held out the cash for payment.

The children with her stared in shock at the girl, not expecting anyone to have what looked to be thousands of pounds on hand.

XV-mon smiled cheerfully. "Certainly!" He then snapped his massive fingers.

A moment later, wingless miniature version of the barkeep appeared. The blue lizard didn't have any marking on his front and stood less than a meter tall. "Yeah, Dad?"

"Show our fine guests to their rooms. They have rooms three and four." XV-mon took two keys from the wall and gave them to the smaller digimon. "And V-mon, stop calling me 'Dad.'"

V-mon bowed respectfully. "Of course, Father."

XV-mon scowled and muttered, "We're the same freakin' age and he calls me 'Dad' just because I evolved first."

* * *

Susan meandered her way downstairs, the last of the children to wake. What would've upset her days ago from being in a strange and enormous bed, didn't phase her at all. She was more curious as to where the digimon and the other girls were. Then again, a few days ago she had no choice of being sucked into this weird world, but was now here of her own free will. This was an adventure set for her to experience, no matter how weird this world was.

Arriving downstairs and entering the restaurant, she felt a little relieved seeing the group sitting around a table that was built more for their digimon in mind, than the humans. She thought it odd that the windows showed that it was still dark outside, expecting it to be late in the morning from how she had slept, and that the others all looked rather embarrassed.

"Oh, good morning, Susan," Teresa greeted nervously.

"Something wrong?" Susan questioned.

The answer came in the form of the others looking at the small pile of money sitting in the middle of the table.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid we don't have a lot of money to help with the costs. We could only manage sixty-two pounds. Not enough to even buy breakfast for all of us and the digimon," Melissa explained.

Susan waved off the problem. "Don't worry about it. I didn't expect anything from the poor."

While Freddy had been annoyed before, the angry glare from him now caused Susan to step back. "We're fucking children, your majesty. Children only get what their parents give them. NONE of our families would be considered poor except in comparison to you old money bastards living off the taxes collected from centuries of workers so you'll never have to move your god damned dainty fingers. You don't even fucking know what poor means. Poor is when you don't have a roof over your head. Poor is when you give your child half-eaten food from a garbage can because you don't have a single penny to buy shit," Freddy hissed venomously. He snatched a five pound note from the pile. "I'll eat alone."

Goblimon gazed at his retreating partner, longing to go with him yet feeling the boy needed his own space.

Susan stared in stunned surprise. She slowly shook her head, not believing a word of what he said. "He probably didn't have any money."

"Actually, fifteen pounds of it was his," Chuck replied.

Susan pouted. "Let's just eat and then figure out what to do about that sword."

Breakfast was soon served to the children, who were at first reluctant to eat the odd collection of food set before them. The green eggs hardly looked appetizing, but as the old children's story went-- they were actually quite delicious. Freddy's outburst had put a damper on the children's hunger, particularly Susan's, causing them to take longer to eat less than they normally would have.

With the meal finished, Freddy returned to the table, sitting a few seats away from Susan in order to be neither near her nor across from her. V-mon began to collect their dirty dishes.

George looked out the window and saw only the dark and gloomy forest. "When does the sun rise here?"

V-mon gaze at the boy in confusion. "The sun IS up. It's almost noon."

"WHAT!" was chorused by several voices.

"The clouds are always thick around here. I've never seen the sun since I came here," V-mon replied.

"So much for hoping to use daylight to enter that cemetery," Henry groused. "With it this dark all the time, those ghosts will always be roaming around."

"That's not good," Melissa gripped.

"You're not after the Sword of Compassion, are you?" V-mon almost cried out in fear and shock.

"We have to," Chuck replied. "We need it to defeat Lady Devimon."

V-mon waved his arms frantically, causing the dirty plates in his hands to drip food onto the floor. "You can't go there! Compassion is the LAST thing you'll find from Gargomon! He killed my brother!"

"Is Gargomon one of the little skeletons or one of those ghosts?" Chuck questioned.

"Neither. Those are Skelamon and Bakemon," V-mon corrected. "Believe me, Gargomon is a LOT worse than those digimon. His skin is like rock and is able to use both holy and dark powers in a fight."

"In other words, he's a gargoyle," Freddy observed.

Plotmon frowned. "There's no possible way for us to fight all of those Skelamon and Bakemon on top of that Gargomon."

"If this is the first challenge, I'd hate to see what we face to get the seventh sword," Goblimon intoned morbidly.

Chuck tapped his fingers. "Well, we know this is the 'Sword of Compassion' now, which means the one who gets it is likely the most compassionate of us."

"Sword of Compassion?" Susan questioned. "Must be mine. I'm nothing if not compassionate."

"Look a bug!" Freddy pointed.

"Eek! Kill it!" Susan shrieked.

"I doubt the Tentomon and Kunemon around here would like to hear that," V-mon retorted.

Susan huffed, while Freddy chuckled at her.

Chuck frowned. He doubted this would be Susan's sword, or Henry's for that matter. Freddy was much more likely than them, but there was a rebellious aspect to him that added uncertainty. He didn't know Melissa enough to judge. He didn't think it would be his sword as he had done some rather uncompassionate things in the past. That left Teresa and George as the main candidates in his mind, along with Freddy and Melissa as secondary possibilities. The boy hummed to himself as he continued to debate the issues in his head, but snapped out of it with everyone's eyes resting on him. "What?"

"You've got some sort of plan, don't ya?" Henry observed.

"Maybe," Chuck replied hesitantly. "I was thinking we should break into two groups. One to act as a decoy for the undead digimon, the other to face Gargomon and get the sword. The decoy group wouldn't have to fight and kill them, just lure them away."

Psychemon nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. But who will be the decoys?"

Chuck paused in thought for how to answer this without offending anyone. "Well, I was thinking that Pyschemon, Tsukaimon and Plotmon would be better able to deal with group fighting. You especially, Pyschemon, with your 'Gaudy Horn' should be able to blind our pursuers."

Susan pouted. "Couldn't Psychemon's attack be just as useful against Gargomon?"

"Well, it would be, but with Tapirmon, that group already has a means to stun him. And that attack isn't suited as well to group fighting," Chuck returned.

"But what if the sword is mine?" Susan pressed.

"Then we'll retreat and try again with the roles reversed," Chuck informed.

V-mon huffed angrily. "Don't say I didn't warn you when you get deleted."

* * *

Cautiously three children and their digimon approached the outer gate of the cemetery.

"How are we supposed to attract their attention?" Susan groused bitterly, believing the sword to be hers.

Chuck's eyes went wide as he pointed behind the girl.

Susan slowly turned around and saw a familiar gaping mouth.

"Oh, good. You came back. I was getting hungry," a Bakemon moaned out.

Psychemon yanked her partner away from the drooling ghost, clearing the way for Plotmon to unleash his sonic howling attack. The Bakemon slammed against the rusted fence as the puppy digimon's screeching hit him like a truck. Seconds passed and Plotmon did not let up his attack until the ghost exploded into data.

"Good riddance," Susan muttered while trying to clear her ears of the ringing sensation they now had.

Henry stared into the cemetery as a dozen more undead digimon appeared, marching straight toward them.

"Thirteen was our number, and thirteen shall our number be. So says Soulmon," announced a ghost digimon with a pointed witch's hat atop his head.

"Guess he means to make one of us a ghost digimon," Tsukaimon commented with dread.

"There's one thing I can say to that...," Chuck began.

"RUN AWAY!" Henry finished.

The undead digimon would not let this be ignored and gave chase.

Having seen Chuck and the others lead the inhabitants of the graveyard away, Freddy and the others entered the cemetery. Though they remained on guard in case Gargomon or any other digimon not counted among the thirteen made their presence known.

Arriving at the central crypt, the children and their digimon saw that it was inlaid with images of angels yielding swords or rods as they battled demonic beasts. Upon the door itself was a visage of a humbled demon shackled at the feet of a rod-holding angel. To most of them, they felt the moral was one of triumph over darkness. Yet to one child and partner, it felt as if this was the agony of defeat.

Teresa ran her hand over the humbled demon figure, as she came to the restraint's connector upon it's chest, she felt something odd. She pressed hard against it, and not only did it move, but the whole door as well.

"Nice job," Freddy praised. He then frowned peering into the darkness of the crypt.

Two red eyes appeared deep within, and a hollow voice rang out, "Enter if you wish to die."

"I don't think our survival is the one that is at issue here," Freddy shot back.

A bone-chilling chuckle was the only reply.

The small group pressed forward and suddenly the oppressive gloom gave way to torches that ignited along the walls. On the far side of the crypt sat a demonic winged stone statue with two golden bands crossing over his chest, which slowly stood up. Behind Gargomon rested a sword on a pedestal.

"You look better in the dark," Freddy quipped.

Gargomon stepped forward heavily. "Joke all you want, but if you are here seeking power or compassion, you have found neither."

"Well, we just have to beat you to get the sword." Melissa grinned. "Modoki Betamon, Kokuwamon, GO!"

"Aqua Tower!" "Stun Shock!" The two digimon fired their attacks together.

Gargomon rushed forward as the two attacks collided behind him, giving him a push forward from the explosive result. The beast was off centered and wrapped his giant hands around Goblimon to steady himself. Before the green humanoid digimon could raise an attack, the stone digimon threw him into a wall and followed that attack up by doing the same thing to Modoki Betamon and Kokuwamon.

"Nightmare Syndrome!" Tapirmon cried out.

Gargomon paused for a moment as the pigmy-elephant's dark cloud enshrouded him. He then glared at her. "Don't bring up unpleasant memories!" The stone demon grabbed Tapirmon and began slamming her into the ground repeatedly.

Teresa latched herself around Gargomon's arm. "Please, stop it! PLEASE!" She then found herself slammed against the wall, pain filling her body.

"You ask for mercy?" Gargomon laughed. "There is no mercy here. Digimon believe that sword is of compassion, but that's a lie."

Teresa coughed from pain. "You don't want to guard it, do you?"

"Guarding it is not an issue. That I do willingly," Gargomon hissed. "LEAVING this crypt is what I cannot do."

"You're a prisoner?" Teresa questioned.

"Yes. I came here wanting to evolve. It was a 'Sword of Compassion,' surely there was no price for it's gift," Gargomon growled. "I got my 'reward' and the sword proved that it held no compassion for the cost it forced upon me."

Freddy, George and the others were at a loss for what to do. They had no hope of being able to hurt the stone beast, especially with their digimon out of commission. And they certainly couldn't retreat with Teresa trapped by the foul creature. They could only watch as the poor crying girl was pressed against the wall.

"Is there any way I can free you?" Teresa questioned.

Gargomon stared at her. "Huh?"

"How can I free you?" Teresa repeated. "Maybe I could take your place."

Gargomon howled and threw the girl across the room. "Don't be stupid! I will NEVER allow someone else to go through this hell. I will kill you before I'd let that happen."

"I won't let you remain here another day, even if it means I can never leave," Teresa protested.

"Then you give me no choice!" A pure white tablet and a jet-black tablet formed in Gargomon's hands, but before he could utter his attack the room flooded with light. As his vision cleared, Teresa stood without a single sign she had been hurt by him and was holding the two-meter long claymore that was bigger than she was.

Gargomon took a step back, staring at the girl in shock and horror. "No, you fool!"

"You imprisonment ends now!" Teresa swung the giant blade toward the stone demon.

At first nothing seemed to happen, but then the golden bands split apart and slipped off Gargomon. Then he began to shimmer and shrink until all that was left was a V-mon, who stared at his draconian paws in shock. He then looked at the girl in amazement before tears flowed from his eyes. "You stupid, stupid girl. Give me back the sword. You don't want to be stuck here."

"Ah! So V-mon's brother wasn't killed. He WAS Gargomon!" Melissa chirped.

Freddy smirked. "Teresa, why don't you see if you can leave? I believe the sword was always meant for you."

"Don't!" V-mon protested. "If you leave, you'll feel nothing but pain!"

Teresa took faith in what she had to do. There would be no point to make swords that could not leave where they were guarded. She readied herself anyway in case the pain did come, surprised that her injuries had vanished when the blade went to her hands. She walked slowly out of the crypt and into the cemetery. She stared at the overcast sky with a frown.

Freddy followed behind her. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Teresa replied. "Just wished that the sun would've come out." She then turned around. "How's Tapirmon?"

"Not a scratch!" Tapirmon announced.

"All their injuries were healed when light flooded the room!" Melissa announced happily.

"That's wonderful!" Teresa elated. She then pouted. "V-mon, right? You can come out now."

V-mon hesitantly stepped outside of the crypt. Then took a few extra steps. He hopped up and down. Then he finally began to smile and grabbed Teresa's hands. "WE'RE FREE! WE'RE FREE!"

Modoki Betamon nodded. "And your family awaits you at the inn."

"They're still here? It's been so long..." V-mon sighed. "I wonder what my brothers have evolved to."

Melissa giggled. "Why don't we save that as a surprise?"

Freddy looked around. "Now what happened to Chuck and the others?"

Screams of horror echoed across the cemetery, but the cries of panic were not made by voices that the children or their digimon knew.

"Keep away! Keep away!" cried out a terrified Bakemon.

"No one dares try to hurt Susan and gets away with it!" retorted a blue sorceress no taller than the children, who was flinging crystal from her wand.

"Go get the creep, Sorcerymon!" Susan cheered.

"Guess we don't need the swords to evolve our digimon to adult," Melissa commented.

Freddy growled. "Guess so, but how did that twit figure out how to do it?"

Chuck walked up to them. "A Bakemon had Susan cornered. She was almost killed, but Psychemon evolved and killed him first." He then stared at the huge sword Teresa was holding with one hand. "See you got the sword."

"How do you sheath it, though?" Teresa wondered. Then her digivice flared and the sword was sucked into it. The small teen grabbed the device, morphed it into a sword and then back into the handheld device.

"That works," Melissa chirped.

"I'd say its high time we returned to the inn and plan our next move," Chuck suggested, and the others nodded.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Gah! I didn't expect it'd be THIS long between updates. With luck the next chapter won't take nearly as long.

Next Chapter: The Difference Between Bravery and Stupidity Can any of the children face off against Bullmon for the next sword?


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